Fernández completed her undergraduate degree in visual arts at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plásticas (ENAP) in San Carlos, Mexico (1986) and took classes in scenography for theatre and television under Gilberto Acevez Navarro at ENAP (1987–1988). Her installation El Alimento was awarded the Grand Prize of Acquisition in the Third Biennial Monterrey (1997). Her solo exhibitions include in 2001 Alberca (La Torre de los Vientos, Mexico City), Mi vida es otra (Labotatorio de Arte Alameda, Mexico City) and Panorámica (Espacio 3, Mexico City), as well as Aqui, Afuera at the Museo de Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (1998), Claudia Fernández, at the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City (1998), and 3 Fernández at the Salón de los Aztecas, Mexico City (1988). Additionally, she has exhibited her work in group shows since 1987.

After working with sculpture and installation, she began to explore photography and video. One of her first works was exhibited at the Alameda Laboratory , and consisted of a wall and ceiling projection involving filming day-to-day objects with the camera lens enveloped in a mirror prism. The results show abstract images in vivid colors and with much movement.

In this interview from 2004, curator and writer Luz Sepulveda speaks to Fernández about her interest in archeology and her recents work.